Highway guard



1933- c, H. MACDONALD HIGHWAY GUARD Original Filed Feb.

I N VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS Patented Aug. 15, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HIGHWAY GUARD Charles H. Macdonald, San Francisco, Calif.,

assignor to The Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, Denver, Colo., rado a Corporation of Colo- December 2, 1929. Se

3 Claims.

This invention relates to posts of the general type shown in my applications for Patent Serial Nos. 284,442 and 340,897, filed on June 11, 1928 and on February 18, 1929 respectively. The present application is divisional of my application for Patent Serial No. 340,897.

It is an object of my invention to provide a post that may be positioned at a point beyond the downwardly ranging shoulder at an edge of a road-structure by a laterally projecting foot embedded in the structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a post of the above described character which when set in position, has a degree of resiliency that greatly enhances the usefulness of the barrier in yieldingly resisting shocks to which it may be subjected by the impact of misdirected vehicles.

A further object is to provide a post that may be held in position beyond an edge of a paved highway by a foot extending below the surface of the same.

An embodiment of the invention has been shown in the accompanying drawing in the two views of which like parts have been similarly designated and in which,

Figure 1 represents a plan view of the improved'post in its operative position relative to a highway, and

Figure 2 a side elevation of the same, with the roadway in vertical section.

The post shown at 5 in the drawing, may be one of a series which supports a barrier at the side of a highway, to prevent accidents when vehicles are by misadventure, driven off the surface of the road.

The posts as shown in the drawing, are erected beyond a downwardly extending shoulder at an edge of the roadway and firmly held in place by laterally projecting integral feet 13 that are driven into the ground beneath the surface of the road. 7 i

It is an important feature of the invention that the feet of the posts are sufliciently long to leave an unsupported shank portion between the road and the upright body member of the posts.

This free shank portion indicated at 14 in the drawing, permits of a yielding motion of the posts by the inherent resiliency of the metal of which they are composed, thereby greatly enhancing the usefulness of the posts as a medium for deadening the shocks of impacting vehicles.

When used in connection with paved roads, the pavement shown at 15 in the drawing, may

rial No. 411,033

be sufficient to hold the posts in position but on unpaved roads or on surfaced roads of less solid construction, the end portions of the feet may be 'set in a bed 16 of plastic material such as concrete, reenforced, if necessary, by rip rap, as indicated at 17.

It is in'many instances desirable to use posts composed of two members set close together, as shown in Figure l, and having a space between them for the support of the barrier-holding arms, by connecting means applied to the two members of the posts.

The posts or the members of the double posts may be made of any suitable material and in any desired shape, it being preferred to make the posts of angle section and of metal of sufficient inherent resiliency to permit of a yielding movement of the upright body members of the posts by flexure of the unsupported shank portions of the foot members of the same.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a road structure having at an edge of its surface, a downwardly ranging shoulder, of a post beyond said shoulder, having a laterally projecting foot, and a cementitious body in the structure, in which the foot is embedded.

2. The combination with a roadbed having at an edge thereof, a downwardly ranging shoulder, of a post spaced from said shoulder, having an integral, laterally projecting foot, and a cementitious body in the roadbed in which said foot is embedded.

3. The combination with aroadbed having at an edge thereof a downwardly ranging shoulder and an opening in said shoulder, of an upright post having a laterally projecting foot, an end portion of which is supported in said opening while another portion of same at its juncture with the post extends thru space beyond the shoulder in an unsupported condition, said unsupported portion providing a shank which permits of fiexure for movement of the post under stress.

CHARLES H. MACDONALD. 

